ABSTRACT
The potential of Internet memes for political communication and mobilisation is a relatively new topic in academic studies. In order to read a meme, members of the audience often have to be aware of the broader political context and be familiar with this format of Internet communication. The deliberation of political issues in the language of memes can take a form of a carnival – the exchange of screams and shouts, billingsgate and vulgar jokes, nonetheless contributes to the formation of the political picture. Memes can serve not only as political discursive weapons, but they can also fill the void for the critical media. Political resistance by means of Internet memes may seem an array of disconnected voices; however, all of them promote the diversity of ideas and opinions. Russian political resistance via artful memes of the Crimean case further proves that ‘carnivalesque’ dissent facilitates the articulation of ‘forbidden’ ideas, makes ordinary voices heard, and permits laughter at the elites.
